Tesla’s new steering wheel on the Model S and Model X comes with more than meets the eye.
Electrek was able to learn more details about Tesla’s new innovative product.
New Tesla Model S and Model X
Today, Tesla unveiled its new Model S and highly anticipated Model X 2021 update.
The new electric vehicles have upgraded the powertrain and battery packs with the latest Tesla technology – reaching Model 3 and Model Y in some cases and overtaking them in others.
But the most anticipated change is the interior design, which has received a complete update.
First impressions were mixed, as some of the features proved to be polished – nothing more than the new steering wheel.
Tesla New Steering Wheel
Tesla is introducing a brand new steering wheel on the new Model S and Model X.
In the new configurator, Tesla describes the new steering wheel, which has no rod:
“The final focus on direction: without stems, without displacement. With a rodless stick, you can enjoy both the best car to drive and the best car to drive. “
Previously, Tesla used rods on its steering wheels like most other vehicles for turn signals, headlights and windshield wiper controls and, unlike other automakers, Tesla even used steering rods for other controls like autopilot and steering modes (PRND).
Tesla’s new steering wheel has none of that, since the steering column is not equipped with any rods.
Instead, it is packaged in a simplified butterfly flywheel design:
To replace the rods, Tesla is betting on a mix of AI and power touch buttons on the steering wheels to replace these functions.
The steering wheel is equipped with the same scrolls already found on model 3 and model Y, but now features new power touch buttons for direction indicators, high beam, horn, autopilot, windshield control and voice commands :
But ultimately, Tesla’s hope that all these functions will be performed automatically by the vehicle.
This strategy is especially shown by the Tesla solution for replacing the driving mode rod (PRND).
Electrek obtained internal documents from Tesla that show the automaker’s plans to use autopilot and AI to know which driving mode to activate.
Tesla writes in the document:
“The vehicle uses its autopilot sensors to intelligently and automatically determine the desired driving modes and select them. For example, if the front of the Model S / X faces a garage wall, it will detect this and automatically switch to Reverse as soon as the driver steps on the brake pedal. This takes another step for drivers of the world’s smartest production cars. “
This is a big change in the way a car is operated, but Tesla is ensuring that people are not too confused by adding power touch controls to the “Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive” driving modes at the bottom of the phone charger on the center console.
First, we report some of these technologies based on a patent that Tesla filed last year.
What do you think of Tesla’s new steering wheel and steering controls? Let us know in the comments section below.
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